Students With Disabilities

The Special Education Department serves approximately 1,500 students who have been identified as having disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA 2004). Services are provided in accordance with Ohio’s Operating Standards for Children with Disabilities and the Special Education Model Policies and Procedures.

Website Accessibility

The district strives, to the extent technologically and economically feasible, to make its websites as accessible as possible. Individuals responsible for designing, developing and producing web pages are expected to take reasonable steps to follow these guidelines to create websites that allow non-English speakers and persons with visual, auditory, and physical disabilities to access the information and content on the District’s website.

For guidance in determining whether online content is accessible, the District will consult the technical standards identified as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WIA) or comparable standards.

If you have questions or need assistance regarding website accessibility or the content on this website, please contact the district’s Web Accessibility Coordinator (the Director of Public Relations, 90 N. East St., Pickerington, OH 43147; phone: 614-833-2110) or the Special Education Department

Special Education Director

Kristina Hulse

Director of Special Education

614.920.6161

kristina_hulse@plsd.us

Resources

As required by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), the Pickerington Local School District is committed to the location, identification, and provision of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for all children between the ages of 3 and 21 having a disability and residing within our school district.

If you know of a child with a disability, or have a child suspected of having a disability, who is not currently receiving appropriate educational or related services, please contact the Pickerington Schools Office of Special Education at 614.833.2110

Special education services for each student with disabilities are written into each student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). Services may be provided in a variety of settings, with the goal being to educate each student in the least restrictive environment (LRE); which means providing services in the regular classroom environment to the maximum extent possible.

Each building operates under an intervention model to help determine if a student should be evaluated. All buildings are using response to intervention (RTI) to help provide individual learning experiences in the form of classroom and small group interventions. These interventions are designed by the building RTI team to positively impact the students’ academic achievements.

Screeners are in place to look at all children to determine if there is a need for tiered intervention. Parents who have concerns about their child’s educational progress should contact their child’s school.

The Pickerington Preschool is a program that enhances and encourages learning for children with disabilities and typically developing children. We welcome children ages 3-5 years of age, while offering a range of services free to children with a qualifying disability; typical developing peers are enrolled on a tuition basis. All children are provided with a typical preschool experience and the opportunity to interact with children of all abilities.

The program is operated according to the Ohio Department of Education standards, federal mandates for the Education of Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, and state licensure rules and regulations. Preschool teachers must hold a license for the Early Education of the Handicapped issued by the Ohio Department of Education.

The philosophy of the program emphasizes developmentally-appropriate activities. The preschool has adopted the Creative Curriculum. Within this context, children with disabilities receive play-based, individualized, developmentally-appropriate interventions, including child- and teacher-directed activities. Typically-developing children are considered to be an integral component of the program as role models for instructional and social interactions.

Southeast Ohio Center for Independent Living is a non-profit, non-residential organization which assists people with significant disabilities who want to live more independently. Their number for Fairfield County Residents is 740-689-1794.

State Support Team Region 11 works closely with the Ohio Department of Education’s Offices for Innovation and Improvement, Exceptional Children and Early Learning and School Readiness. SST 11 provides professional development, coaching, and technical assistance to school districts, educational service centers, community schools, early childhood programs and families in Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, Union and Chillicothe City Schools located in Ross County. They can be reached at 614-753-4694.

Pickerington Special Olympics is a self-sustaining, non-profit organization. We do not receive funding from Special Olympics at the county, state, national or international level. 100% of our fundraising proceeds are used directly to assist the sports programs and our athletes.